Rogue - Woman Dominates Beerd Competition YET DOES NOT TAKE HOME TOP PRIZE

October 4, 2013 -- Portland, OR

Above: In the early hours of the Festival, celebrity judge Aarne Bielefeldt of IFC's Whisker Wars was clearly enamored with Cindi Lou Kunkle's striking locks.

Below: Just prior to the start of Sunday's Beard competition, Judge Bielefeldt was captured on film grooming Matthew Blackarm's beard for the Freestyle competition. Blackarm later claimed the festival's top prize.

Rogue Ales' First Annual Great American Beerd Festival - a joint celebration of beers and beards - was not without its surprises and unexpected conflict.

While most people associate facial hair with men, it was a woman who stole the show at the festival. Cindi Lou Kunkle competed both days of the event. On Saturday, she easily took first place in the Whiskerina category. That prize allowed her to compete for the top prize of "Best Overall Beard" during Sunday's festivities. Many festival goers commented that Kunkle was a shoe-in for the top prize.

The Best Overall Beard is picked from individuals taking first place in each of the competition's categories. In addition to the Whiskerinas competition, categories included: Best full beard under one foot, Best full beard over one foot, Best Sideburns, Best Moustache, Most Rougeish Beard, Best Business Beard and Best Freestyle Beard.

In the end, it was the Best Freestyle Beard Winner Matthew Blackarm who caused the controversy. Just prior to the start of Sunday's Beard Competition, celebrity judge Aarne Bielefeldt (from the Independent Film Channel's "Whisker Wars") was captured on film grooming Blackarm's beard. While very few festival goersnoticed the unusual occurrence, those who did became visibly upset when Blackarm claimed the top prize.

Festival organizers -- at the time without proof of the alleged conflict -- made the decision to allow Blackarm's victory to stand. No word yet whether they will reconsider in light of recent revelations.

"What we'll likely do," claimed Jennifer Anderson of Rogue Ales, "is simply repeat the Great American Beerd Festival in a few months."

"November is already known as 'Movember' -- the month that men world-wide stop shaving in order to raise money for prostate cancer research. The way we see it, that's a great reason to repeat this festival and allow Kunkle and Blackarm to go head to head one more time."

Anderson continued by noting that the 1.5th Semi-Annual Great American Beerd Fest will likely take place on Saturday, November 30, although she was not yet willing to reveal the time and location of the repeat event.

BEARD BEERS PUT THE BEARD IN "BEERD FEST"

The Great American Beerd Festival was more than just a celebration of beards. It was also a celebration of Beards In Beer. The flagship beer for the festival was Rogue Ales' Beard Beer, which was brewed using a previously undiscovered strain of yeast cultivated from Brewmaster John Maier's 25 year-old beard. All other beers served at the festival had beards, moustaches or another prominent facial hair feature on the label. The idea for a beard-labeled beer fest came from the Festival's co-organizer, Fred Abercrombie, who literally wrote the book on Craft Beerds (see below). Beers at last weekend's festival included:

North Coast Brother Thelonius

Rogue Shakespeare Stout

Southern Oregon Brewing Maibock

North Coast Old Rasputin

Speakeasy Double Daddy

Hidden Legends Huckleberry

Het Anker - Duve Van de Kaiswer

Wychwood Ginger Beer

California Eel River Triple Exultation

Victory Baltic Thunder

Rogue Dad's Little Helper

Rogue Mocha Porter

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